May 1, 1994: Ayrton Senna's tragic passing shakes Formula 1 to the core

That Ayrton Senna remains a cherished and beloved figure in Formula 1 speaks to the impact he had on the sport. The Sao Paolo native won three world championships during his time in the sport. He also won the hearts of fans with his devil-may-care style of driving. This was especially true in rain-affected races, where he went full throttle as others were cautious. Which makes his passing on May 1, 1994 all the more hard to digest for fans of the sport.

The weekend of the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix in Imola is an event marred by death. Prior to Senna’s death on Sunday, F1 rookie Roland Ratzenberger passed away after an accident in qualifying.

Senna had visited the scene of the crash and the medical centre. What he witnssed had him in tears and also provoked some action on his part. The morning before the race, he spoke to former rival Alain Prost about reestablishing the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association.

Senna reckoned that driver’s could do more to push for better safety standards in the sport.

The race

A startline accident involving JJ Lehto’s Benetton-Ford and the Lotus-Mugen Honda of Pedro Lamy caused the deployment of the safety car.

The crash itself sent debris and a wheel in the main grandstand, injuring eight fans and a policeman. Nevertheless, when racing resumed, Senna held on to the lead over Michael Schumacher.

It was on lap 7, however, that tragedy struck. Ayrton Senna rounded the high-speed Tamburello corner but his car went off the racing line and crashed into the wall.

He was given medical attention on-site and was then airlifted to Bologna’s Maggiore Hospital. However, he was pronounced dead later in the evening.

The race was red flagged after Senna’s crash. However, it was subsequently restarted. Schumacher, then driving for Benetton-Ford, was the winner in the end.

However, champagne was not sprayed at the podium out of respect for Ratzenberger. Senna had not yet been pronounced dead; however, it was subsequently ruled that he passed away as soon as the crash happened.

Senna’s death sent waves of grief through the world of sport, and in his native country Brazil. His death saw plenty being done to improve the safety standards in the sport.

Indeed, safety is something that is now seen as paramount rather than an afterthought in the sport.